


The End

by leafonthewind



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-06
Updated: 2015-02-06
Packaged: 2018-03-10 18:36:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3299696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/leafonthewind/pseuds/leafonthewind
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a prompt for who Jim would save, if he had to pick just one.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The End

It all happens in one horrible moment.

The wind blows in from the south, sharp and salty from the choppy sea off the cliff before you. The brittle rock looks like it might shatter at any point and cause the whole sheer to drop off and fall into the water, but you don't care about that.

You don't care about anything but them.

You'd hold your breath but you don't have time because they're both slipping.

Their hands are wrapped weakly around metal bars against the cliff face, the tops of their heads and eyes just visible. And in this sick ritual, you have ten seconds.

Ten seconds to save just one.

Your eyes go from brown to hazel to brown again, but your choice has been made up long ago, even before this moment.

You lunge. Your fingers wrap tightly around his wrist, and he grips you back almost hard enough to crack bone.

The hazel eyes shut one last time. Then they're gone.

~*~

The next few months are a blur.

You're the worst captain. You drink. You fuck. You're always in your room with some whore or three or six, or in the bar with drinks in your hands, double fisting them while the rest of your crew politely looks away and pretends like you aren't a fat, alcoholic piece of shit that they haven't lost their respect for.

You know better.

You barely visit the bridge. Spock covers for you _always_ , patient and calm. M'Benga treats you in your quarters because you refuse to even enter the infirmary.

You're a wreck and four months later, Starfleet can't pretend they haven't noticed the train wreck their most visible and promising captain has become. They relieve you.

You don't give a fuck. You turn the ship over to Spock without another word and board the next shuttle for Earth.

You're glad to strip the uniform off, honestly. It feels dirty to wear it now and pretend to be the hero you're just not.

You lost your heart for it months ago.

~*~

Back in Iowa, almost no one knows you, and those who do learn to keep their damn mouths shut. You fight. You drink. You get a job at a small mechanic's shop where you used to work as a teen, but you have no work ethic any more and they fire you a few months later. You're on the streets begging for anything that'll get some whisky back in your system so you don't have to remember what an utter failure you are for a few hours. When that doesn't work, you get into a fight with a cop.

At least you'll be unconscious for a night.

~*~

It all happens in one horrible moment.

The wind blows in from the south, sharp and salty from the choppy sea off the cliff before you. The brittle rock looks like it might shatter at any point and cause the whole sheer to drop off and fall into the water, but you don't care about that.

You don't care about anything but them.

Your eyes go from brown to hazel to brown again, but your choice has been made up long ago, even before this moment.

Because Spock knows you better than you know yourself.

He knows you can't live without Bones, but he also knows who you're _going_ to pick, whose eyes you landed on first, and Spock knows you can live without him. You'll even be a better captain for it. You'll be more careful on away missions, you'll think harder before you act, you'll pause one extra second to think about what Spock might have done if he were still at your side.

Spock knows Starfleet needs a good captain, and you're a good captain. You'll hurt, but you can live without Spock.

The brown eyes shut one last time. He lets go, and they're gone.

You lunge. Your fingers wrap tightly around his wrist, and he grips you back and you drag Bones up to safety.


End file.
